POLITICAL CONFUSION: TWO SIDES OF THE COIN AHEAD OF ELECTIONS, WHO WILL PAY THE PRICE?
A KBN TV EDITORIAL
From boardrooms to town streets and villages, the message is the same, there is so much that is going wrong in our nation. We can’t even start talking about our failure to bury a former Head of State one year later, next month.
It’s difficult to apportion blame or point fingers, but as a society, we must share the blame for allowing ourselves to arrive here and tolerate these unique, uncomfortable and unfamiliar circumstances.
When we do the cause and effect analysis of the two sides of the coin, it’s becoming increasingly
clear that to a great extent, what seems to be unintended political confusion in the opposition ahead of the general elections, could actually be intended.
With hindsight, one could tell that the signs were long written on the wall, but stakeholders intentionally refused to read the season and understand the pattern that was becoming all too familiar.
Could what is happening to political parties been avoided? Of course! But why wasn’t the situation avoided? Because everyone in the political field of play feels they deserve to lead, they deserve better than others. Whether this is conviction, ego or self centeredness, we are yet to find out. But at what cost?
Truthfully speaking, opposition unity has been difficult to attain because it’s only unity if you support “me”. When you flip the coin and point that support in reverse, it’s news they never want to hear or entertain.
The political mess that the opposition has found itself in, 90 days to an election, did not just happen. No one should feign to act surprised. Any politician who cares about intelligence intel was well aware of what was likely to happen. It was also within their power to do something about it. But personal interests clouded logic that puts national interest above self.
It was a very well known fact that the plot, the grand idea, was to make sure that PF, which was the biggest opposition party and FDD, the most recognizable party due to years of participating in national elections, are both assaulted and not on the ballot. If they were to be on the ballot, they should be either proxies or a shell of themselves. Both scenarios are now lived experiences.
Who can claim not to have known these realities? Here we are now, even when voters should be celebrating the last ditch effort at unity, the lack of grace and boldness to face reality earlier, is adding to the confusion among voters.
In their chamber of hearts, all political figures knew a safer route they should have taken well ahead of the awe of the confusion we are currently witnessing, but they did not. Instead, they chose the business of knife edge and nail biting decisions. That’s what has landed us here!
Numerous shuttles between closed door meetings yielded very insignificant results. The biggest barrier has always been who should lead and which party should be adopted as a special purpose vehicle. Simple as those two questions may sound, they have unfortunately been the major hindrance to cohesive opposition unity.
Had they paid heed, had they chosen to genuinely listen to each other, by now we wouldn’t have over 20 presidential candidates doing permutations of how to get on the ballot. Why should the opposition gamble with imingalato when they could have been more prepared?
Recent happenings remind us of many similar moments in the past. We had warned about the predictable Concourt outcome of the 3rd term bid and eligibility case of ECL, still people didn’t listen. Then came Bill 7, despite public uproar, the Bill passed, leaving insufficient time for the Electoral Commission of Zambia to adequately prepare for new constituencies and additional seats under proportional representation.
Then came 77 Bills. Although citizens protested passing a record number of Bills in 10 days, the Bills passed and MPs danced to the bank for their gratuities.
The question is how did we get here where citizen’s voices don’t matter anymore? Shouldn’t we be making laws that unite and build consensus in the nation? Why should citizens be left to think that those governing are acting superior to the collective power of citizens?
Today, we are living in a Zambia where cybercrime laws have claimed more freedoms and power than their ability to guarantee protection to citizens. Citizen’s voices have been silenced, activism is none existent, the Church seems intimidated and can’t voice out, the media is practicing the worst form of self censorship, the voice of the civil society has been muffled and muted.
As we head into campaign season, we are supposed to be a happy nation, but we are a nation troubled and silenced by unfriendly laws. The big question we should ask ourselves is when we look at these two sides of the coin, who will pay the ultimate price for the intended political confusion and the state of despondency?